Valesca Machado Eyes The Ultimate Fighter Title and Future UFC Gold

Valesca Machado, competing under the name Tina Black, reached the finale of The Ultimate Fighter season 34 as Daniel Cormier’s first draft pick. Machado earned her spot by securing victories over Natalia Alves and Delphine Benouaich. Entering the final, she carries a professional MMA record of 15-4 with one no-contest, having previously held titles in Invicta FC and A1 Combat.

Machado is set to square off against Melissa Amaya at UFC Vegas 121 on Saturday. Reflecting on her path, the 30-year-old fighter noted that the challenges of tournament formats are familiar to her, as she previously won an Invicta title by fighting twice in a single night. While acknowledging past on-screen conflicts during the show, she remains focused on securing the victory and adding the TUF trophy to her collection.